Marilena Stavrakidi

Biography:
Marilena Stavrakidis was born in Athens, Greece in 1991. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts BFA program. Her work, which focus on sociopolitical issues, has been exhibited at the SVA Gramercy Gallery in 2014, SVA Chelsea Gallery in 2015...
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And Her Name Mother of Exile I-IV, is an ongoing project on the refugee crisis. It is an attempt of putting a face to the people who where forced to leave their homes and flee for their lives.

In December I traveled to Lesvos for 10 days to interview and photograph the Syrian refugees. Every day more than 1,000 Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi refugees arrived in inflatable boats to the island. The project continues in the Elliniko refugee camp in Athens, Greece. Where Afghan refugees are trapped the past 6-7 months.

Elliniko is no ordinary refugee camp. It was once the Olympic Airways central airport in Athens. The refugees live in a tent city in the abandoned airport, beneath signs promising Departures and Arrivals. No one wants to stay but no one can leave. The airport works as an ironic metaphor for the trapped and transitory nature of the refugees.